Three days later, Qin Ruqing had not yet received a visit from the Wolf King because the beast army had fully mobilized.

Feng’s Ancestor spiritual sense message said, “At least fifty thousand beast troops.”

“Is this a full-scale assault?” Fifth Sheng’s expression was grave, filled with confusion.

Had things reached this point, or had the Beast Clan been provoked?

No one answered him.

After the battle, a torrential rain fell on the Beast Realm, as if to wash away the blood and anger.

Qin Ruqing stood in the rain, silently watching the crimson water flow into the lowlands, eventually seeping into the soil and disappearing.

She caught the rain with her hand and closed her eyes.

“Aren’t you going to take cover?” Lu Wei approached from behind Qin Ruqing, noticing she was already soaked, with water dripping from her sleeves.

Qin Ruqing turned and smiled at Lu Wei, using spiritual energy to instantly dry herself and create a barrier around her to keep out the rain. “I wanted to feel the rain of the Beast Realm, to see how it differs from the human world.”

“Did you sense anything?” Lu Wei, who had achieved the status of a Grandmaster in Pill Dao and was usually calm, now had a commanding presence mixed with a touch of awe.

Qin Ruqing shook her head, not commenting on any differences, and abruptly changed the subject. “We’re now in the territory of the Moon Mountain Beast Clan.”

Lu Wei looked at Qin Ruqing calmly, knowing this was just a lead-in.

“Ancestor Feng’s spiritual sense has explored the entire Beast Realm. The seven mountains of the Beast Realm are all aligned on a central axis. Tianjian Mountain, followed by Duanmai Mountain, then Moon Mountain, and further ahead is Tianxing Mountain,” Qin Ruqing’s voice, reflected in the rain, sounded particularly serene.

“And in the recent battle, the Beast Clan’s army has inadvertently driven us from Duanmai Mountain to Moon Mountain.”

Lu Wei finally began to sense something wrong, frowning, “The Beast Clan plans to drive us to the heart of the Beast Realm, to encircle us completely and wipe us out!”

Qin Ruqing smiled at Lu Wei, neither denying nor confirming but implying agreement with Lu Wei’s conclusion.

“We can’t let them do that. We should return to the entrance of the two realms,” Lu Wei suggested.

“No need.” Qin Ruqing shook her head, looking through the rain at the oil-green forest, “We were destined to lose. Now, by delving deeper into the Beast Realm and using the method of inflicting a thousand injuries to the enemy’s eight hundred, the goal is not to win against the Beast Clan in battle but to seek a glimmer of hope in the face of doom.”

A glimmer of hope in the face of doom…

Lu Wei’s voice grew quieter, “Where is that hope?”

The usually composed Grandmaster Pill Dao showed no pretense of hesitation in front of her sister.

Qin Ruqing smiled and held Lu Wei’s hand.

“Don’t worry. That hope is always there.”

“I can feel it; it’s coming soon.”

As the Beast Race’s army surrounded them, attempting to drive them towards Tianxing Mountain, Qin Ruqing finally received the Wolf King’s request for a meeting.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Qin Ruqing said when she saw the Wolf King again, her tone not playful as before, but simply calm.

With time pressing, the Wolf King wasted no time with pleasantries and straightforwardly asked, “How did you know about this?”

He still couldn’t bring himself to say the words “Our Emperor has fallen.”

Qin Ruqing recounted the scene she saw behind the barrier that day and said, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed Wumu’s peculiarity, but our human race has long speculated that when you left the Void Realm, your prince Wumu was likely possessed by the soul of the Ancient Beast Emperor sealed within the Void.”

“That night when I went to investigate Tianxing Mountain, I saw those enormous blood-red eyes, bearing a familiar aura, which was likely the Ancient Beast Emperor. Beside him lay the body of your current Beast Emperor. Six bronze beast head statues were placed in specific positions, continuously infusing thick blood, as if performing some special ritual.”

“I came to see you to ask about this mysterious ritual and what it is for.”

The Wolf King’s demeanor was not as vigorous as before but rather weary.

The news he had discovered these days, enough to destabilize the entire Beast Race, had troubled him to the point of losing sleep and appetite.

The beast eyes looked at Qin Ruqing and said in a deep voice, “If the ancient Beast Emperor did kill our current Beast Emperor, the reason is only one: to refine a new beast body for himself, so he can walk on the surface and truly resurrect.”

“Only the successive Beast Emperors know the secret of the Beast Emperor’s life. By possessing Wumu’s body, the current Beast Emperor would be unguarded, making it possible for the ancient Beast Emperor to succeed.”

“He wants to resurrect, to refine a new beast body. What is your stance on this?” Qin Ruqing seemed to be probing but was actually reminding him.

The fact that the Wolf King came to see her today was already enough to clarify some things.

“I naturally do not want him to resurrect,” the Wolf King said, glancing faintly at Qin Ruqing. “Why play dumb? You dared to reveal such crucial information to me, didn’t you already guess my stance?”

Qin Ruqing’s lips curled up slightly, indicating her acknowledgment.

“As you guessed, I do not like war. Even the current Beast Emperor’s approach seems radical to me. Not to mention the ancient Beast Emperor, who is ruthless and entirely disregards the Beast Race’s people, only focused on his resurrection plan.”

“He is creating a blood pool, having emptied all the shrines in the Beast Realm, excavating all the sacrificial remains and beast bones buried in the shrines, and smelting them into the blood pool. He also ordered the creation of a blood array. All the blood from this war will flow into Tianxing Mountain for his use.”

The Wolf King spoke calmly, but Qin Ruqing detected the anger hidden beneath his calmness.

“It’s no wonder your Beast Race’s army suddenly attacked, regardless of the cost, with a madness comparable to ours. It turns out it’s intentionally creating bloodshed. The root cause is the ancient Beast Emperor’s need for a large amount of human and beast blood to refine the beast body and attempt resurrection.”

“In two days, our army will attack again on an unprecedented scale. You will be driven to the vicinity of Tianxing Mountain,” the Wolf King reminded.

“I know,” Qin Ruqing said, her expression showing no urgency, even a hint of a smile. “The blood flowing from Moon Mountain has been diverted by him. This heavy rain is not simple; there are traces of someone guiding the rules. The unprecedented scale of the upcoming battle clearly indicates that he has reached a crucial stage in refining the beast body.”

“The most crucial step is the merging of the soul and the new body.” The Wolf King proactively explained to Qin Ruqing, “The ancient Beast Emperor’s ambition is substantial. The new body he is refining uses not only a large amount of human and beast blood but also countless ancient demon kings’ beast cores and bones. Once successful, its bloodline strength will surpass his peak period.”

“But such a powerful beast body will face unprecedented rejection reactions. When his soul enters the new body and begins to merge, it will be his weakest time.” The Wolf King looked at Qin Ruqing with unprecedented seriousness. “What do you plan to do?”

“I naturally have my own plan, but it requires your help. The ancient Beast Emperor’s actions are out of line with the laws of heaven. I prefer you to succeed him as the new Beast Emperor,” Qin Ruqing said, looking meaningfully at the Wolf King.

Upon hearing the phrase “succeed as the new Beast Emperor,” the Wolf King’s gaze shifted slightly to the side.

He was clearly uncomfortable but did not refuse or deny.

The anxiety and exhaustion of recent times made the Wolf King realize one thing: if he continued to retreat, the freedom and leisure he desired would never come.

Once, out of playfulness, he had shrunk to the human realm, became a mountain king, and was later expelled back to the Beast Realm, regaining his position as the Wolf Tribe leader, then entered the Void Realm… his life had become increasingly distant from that of an ordinary demon king.

He had to move forward, just as this human had always guided and hoped for him to reach the true highest position to choose his own life.

At this moment, the Wolf King finally understood the true purpose of this human’s continuous engagement with him, maintaining an indescribable relationship.

But the Wolf King did not care. At this point, investigating the past was meaningless; he only knew what he wanted to do now.

The Wolf King said calmly, “I cannot betray the Beast Race; that is a bottom line. Therefore, the final step to disrupt the ancient Beast Emperor’s resurrection must be completed by you.”

“I can at most provide you with a pass mark for the second barrier of Tianxing Mountain and cooperate with you to some extent.”

Qin Ruqing let out a slow breath. “That is sufficient. Thank you…”

But Qin Ruqing didn’t get to say the last two words, as the Wolf King interrupted her.

“I have one more condition.”

“You must agree to this condition for our cooperation to proceed.”

The Wolf King was not foolish.

He was a beast with human-like thinking.

It was precisely because of this that Qin Ruqing chose him, guiding and leading him step by step to cooperate.

Qin Ruqing did not feel angry.

She calmly accepted everything.

“Please, say it.”

“If your plan succeeds and you kill the ancient Beast Emperor, I want you to continue resolving the issue of the fusion of the two realms’ fundamental laws.”

“If the law issue is not resolved, as the new Emperor, I will continue to enforce war, never ending.”

The rain suddenly intensified, and the world seemed to consist only of Qin Ruqing.

At that moment, many voices echoed in her mind.

“… I promise to save the Sin City.”

“I just want to be an ordinary genius with a bit of power and enough freedom.”

“You are the only heir of Dao Ancestor…”

“Will you choose genius or hero?”

“…”

These voices were mixed and chaotic, rushing into her mind like a torrent, and then fading into nothing.

Qin Ruqing calmly raised her eyes, her gaze piercing through the blurry rain, seeing the predetermined fate.

The torrential rain poured.

Qin Ruqing said calmly: “I agree.”